since its disability pride month, i want to make a blog post about a disability im diagnosed with that i have never seen anyone talk about before...
DO NOT USE TO SELF-DIAGNOSE.
Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome, also known as Irlen Syndrome, is a visual perception disability that involves trouble processing colours. it is caused by the brain having trouble processing the visual information sent through by the eyes.
its highly comorbid with other disabilities such as autism, dyslexia and inattentive ADHD. its thought that 20% of the population have Scotopic Sensitivity and visual stress to some degree
Scotopic Sensitivity can make reading very difficult and people's perception of the environment around them can be altered.
its a spectrum disability, meaning some people may show symptoms of visual stress more quickly as others.
potential reading difficulties people with Irlen Syndrome may experience include:
- poor comprehension
- preferences for reading in dimmer rooms
- loses places or skips lines and words whilst reading
- words may distort on the page
- the affected person may get headaches and tiredness easily from reading
- the affected person may avoid reading altogether
- reacts badly to white paper and/or high contrasts , they may get headaches and migraines depending on the severity of the condition
they may have problems with writing too, such as:
- trouble copying
- unequal spacing of letters
- inconsistent spelling and/or handwriting
- difficulty writing on the lines
- fatigue from using computers
physical problems include:
- sensitivity to bright lights and objects
- fatigue and eye strain
- headaches, nausea and, in more severe cases, migraines
- restlessness and fidgeting
- behaviour changes such as becoming more irritable and anxious
other possible effects:
- poor concentration
- poor usage of time
- lack of motivation
- clumsy / uncoordinated / accident prone
- poor perception of distance
things that may help with Scotopic Sensitivity include:
- coloured filters for reading and/or tinted glasses lenses
- coloured paper for reading
- larger text sizes
- avoiding bright and busy patterns
reblogs are greatly appreciated! Irlen Syndrome isn't very well known and i've never met anyone else who has it. please feel free to ask any questions if you have any!
